Validating stamping system.



Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w. H. MUZZY. VALIDATING STAMPING SYSTEM. 7 APPLICATION FILED DEC.27.1904 RENEWED IAN. 23, I'm" 1,149,395! lzltmm dAug. H), 1915,

2 SHEETS -8HEET 1 WILLIAM MUZZY, OF DAYTON,

NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF

(INCOREGRATED IN 1906.)

OHIO, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION or OHIG,

VALIDATING STAMPING SYSTEll/JI.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d 1915 Application filed December 27, 1904, Serial No. 238,273. Renewed January 28 1909. Serial No. 474,807.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and 5 State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Validating Stamping Systems, of which I declare the.

those having charge of the credit accounts are located at a central office and must be communicated with by'the sales persons at the various stations before a credit sale can be made or the goods otherwise removed from the store without payment thereon.

The principal object of the invention is to provide deviceswhich may be manually operated for stamping O. K. or otherwise validating, the dilferent credit, (1. O. D. or approval slips made out by the salesman,

and which devices are controlled in their opcrati on by the credit man or men at a central station or otlice.

With these and incidental objects in view,

the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended. claims and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter specifically described. with'rcference to the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification.

Of said drawings: Figure perspective view of a stamping apparatus embodying the invention. "Fig. 2 represents a vertical. section through the same onv the line of one of the stamping levers. Fig.

re 'ii-esents. aperspective view of the central controlling machine, and Fig. 4 represents adiagrammatical view of the electrical con-' nections betwcen the central machine and the branch machines. I

In thesaiddrawings 1' represents the casing' or cabinet of one of the.stamping de-- H. MUZZY, a

' with the cabinet. The hook is provided with will not become re-latched when the latch is .be 0. Kd. may be laid so that its voucher portion .7 will project through one off two slots -8formed in the vertical portion of the cabinet for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described As the two levers and the corresponding parts are substantially iden tical one Onlywill be described as this de scription will suffice for both. The levers 2 and 3 are pivoted upon a transverse shaft 9 and each of the same is normally held in its elevated position by a. spring-drawn latch hook 10 suitably. mounted in the casing and formed at its lower end with a beveled hook .11, which engages abeveled lug 12 projecting laterally from the lever. The hook 10 is normally drawn forward againsta stop pin l3, bya. coil spring '14, which connects it a soft iron block 15-Which acts as an armature for an electromagnet 16 mounted in the casing to the rear of the latch. Acoil spring 17 is mounted in a suitable channel bar secured in the casing directly below the levers 2 and 3. The upper end of this spring surrounds a stud18 projecting from its lever but only extends to within a short distance of the loweredgesof said lever, so that when the latch 10 is operated the lever will drop until it strikes the upper end of its spring, which will arrest it in such a position thatit again released or allowed to pass forward.

. When the lever is depressed however, and 1 represents a 7 then released, itsspring 17 will force .it up ward with sufficient momentum to cause it to again become latched. To prevent the le ver from makinga partial stroke in either direction, it is formed with .a. pendent segmental arm 19, provided with a series of ratchet teeth 20. These teeth are engaged by a spring drawn reversible pawl 21, "which reverses when the opposite ends of the rack formed by the teeth are reached, in a manner well known in the art.

By the above described devices, when either one of the levers 2 and 3 is released it is permitted to make but a single movement down and back, as it immediately bestationary knife '26 for severing the voucher 7 from the body of the check; the voucher having been arrested in the proper position by a stop lug 27 mounted on the pawl 21. The lower end of frame 25 is provided with afeeding pawl'28, which, as the frame is reciprocated engages and feeds a ratchetwheel 29 mounted upon one end of an inking roller 30, which is suitably journaled in the cabinet and acts as a supply and feeding roller for an endless ink ribbon 31. A retaining pawl 32 mounted on a portion of the cabinet or frame holdsthe ratchet 29 against retrograde movement. The ribbon-'31 passes over suitable guide rollers and over the stationary type plates 34, and the movable dating type wheels 35. These dating wheels are mounted upon the inner ends of a series of nested sleeves 36 and a shaft 37, which are'suitably journaled in the cabinet and are provided with setting knobs 38 which project laterally from the casing for convenience of operation in changing the date.

Each of the levers 2 and. 3 is provided with an operating knob or button 39, a flexible platen 40 and needle finger ll. \Vhen a lever is depressed the platen 40 forces the body of the slip or check downward against the ink ribbon and this in turn against the type plates 3i and dating wheels 35. The check or slip is thus 0. Kd. by printing suitable information from the stationary plates 34:, such, for example,'as validating characters, or the initial of the credit man identified with the particular stamp operated, o'r siinilar indicia. If desired, these plates may be rem'ovable at will for changing the information to be printed. \Vhen a lever is depressed the guard needles l1 pass through the check and the same cannot be drawn out from under the platen and a new check inserted until after the lever has passed through sufiicient of its return movement to cause the pawl 21 to takehold of the teeth 20 and prevent another depression of the lever without its first having passed to its upper position. It is obvious that the perforation of the paper, or check, by rea son of the needles -11 passing through the same, will serve as an added indication that the check has been 0. Kd. As it is necessary to'inform the clerk or sales person when any one of the levers has been released for operation, the cabinetor casing 1 is provided with elevated also, so that the indication on such.

shutter will be above its opening -12. The shutters 43 are slid ably mounted in the cabinet and are connected thereto by coil springs 4- which act to draw them downward when released. Vhen one of the latches 10 is actuated and its 'lever allowed to descend slightly, the slide 43 also descends and brings the proper information into view through the opening 42, by which means the clerk is'notified that this particular lever has been released from the. credit office and can be operated to O. K. the credit slip.

It is also necessary for the credit man at the' central desk to know when one of the particular levers hasbeen operated after being released and for this purpose each of the levers 2 and 3 is provided with a contact arm 45 which, when the lever is depressed contacts with a plate 46 which completes a circuit through Wires 47 and 48 to a lamp or other indicating device 49,-located at the credit'mans station. This central station comprises a cabinet 50 somewhat similar to the cabinet 1 and is provided with the signalfil), which is lighted upon the operation of anyone'of the stamping levers. It will, of course, beunderstood that any number of these credit levers may be employed, but that for the sake of simplicity of illustration I have shown only two. The cabinet 50 also contains a number of switches 50 corresponding to the number of latches 10 to 'be actuated. These switches are preferably of signaling devices, it only being necessary to 11.5

provide some means for informing the operator at'the credit ofiice of the fact that the stamp has been operated after being released. A number of jacks 55 for the dif ferent branch lines are mounted in th'ecasing 50 and are arranged to be connected with the operators switches by a connecting cord 56 and plug 57. i

It will of course be understood that for each of the branch lines or sub-stations, such as shown numbered from 1 to 5 in Fig. 3, there are two jacks (numbered 50 and 100), each jack having its corresponding stamp. Thus, as above stated, there are two switches 50, one for each of the validating stamps,

and of course a. separate cord 56 and plug 57 with separate circuits connecting each switch 50 with its corresponding jack and connected to the validating stamp. This enables the operator at the credit central station to release one or the other of the validating stamp levers 2 or 3,by selecting the corresponding switch lever 50 and the corresponding jack 50 or 100;

If desired, the different" stamping levers may be assigned to different credit men, in

which case 'all .the credits stamped would be j without liinit,but.I prefer to have the different levers represent different credit lim- O. King a C. O. D. transaction, and still another for O. King a sent-on-approval transaction, all of. which transactions'are different forms of transactions involving the suspension of payment, although the goods are removed from the premises.

The cash drawers 4 and 5 are preferably provided with looks, so that should the different levers 2 and3 be assigned to different credit men each man can carry the key to his particular voucher drawer, so that the vouchers belonging to thedifferent credit men will collect in different drawers or receptacles and be thus kept separate for subsequent entry by the person to whom they belong. A ,It will, of course, be understood that each of the switches may be provided With a lock 50 so that when the switches are used for different credit men, one man may look his particular switch when he leaves the office, so that no other credit man can 0. K. over his line without his authority.

The electrical devices used in connection withthe present invention are of such a character as to require only .a very cheap grade. ofprimarybattery either in the form of a dry battery or the ordinary liquid cell, such as is employed in circuits for doorbells and the like. y v

The present lnvention 18 designed for use in connection with some auxiliary means, such as pneumatic tubes or telephones by means of which, the credit man at the cen' tral office is informed of the amount of credit and by whom the same is desired.

The telephone system is the preferred form as by its use the credit man may be instantly informed of the name of the purchaser and the amount of credit desired and can at once release the particular credit stamp desired. Vhen the device is used in connection with the pneumatic tube system the credit man is informed of the amount of the transaction and the persons name desiring the credit by means of a duplicate slip sent to the credit office through the tube. This last arrangement is however, not as rapid as the telephone system as considerably more time is required in sending the duplicate slip to the credit office than in telephoning the. name and amount.

As tothe operation of these previously described devices, it is pointed out that each operative lever 2 or 3 at the sub-station, to-

gether with its correspondingprinting plate 81 and date wheels 35 constitutes a validating couple; The relative movement'between the two members of this printing or validating couple permits the operation, of validat ing, either. by printing, or by perforating,

or by both methods. The levers 2 and 3 ,con-

stitute manually-operated devices for controlling the vali'dating operation, the clerk or salesperson operating one or the other of these levers to-complete the validating transaction and restore the parts preparatory -to the next operation. As to which of these manual devices shall be released, or as to which of the validating couples or mechanisms shall be made operative, this depends upon the credit 'man at the central station, which is provided with the selective switches 50 to control and render operative one or the other of the validatingmechanisms. As soon-as this selection has been accomplished from the centralv station, the signal (in the shape of the shutter 43) at the s1 ib-station designates at the sub-station which validating mechanism has been put intooperative condition, and uponthe ensuing completion of the validating operation by the clerks manipulation of the manual device (the lever 2 or 3), the central station is then apprised of this fact by means of the signal 49 at the central station. It will be obvious from the descriptionalready given, and from the construction shown in- Fig. 2, that the lever 2 or 3 when unlatched drops slightly until it strikes the spring 17 and at that time the full-stroke pawl 21 has become effective to prevent the lever from beingrestored upwardto normal position; therefore the operator would be compelled to operate the lever a full stroke down and up before the latching device can again become effective to control the validating mechanism. Furthermore, the lever -must be carried to its uppermost and normal position in order to permit the full-stroke pawl to reverse again, and in such'event the latch 10 again becomes effective so as to prevent the operator from operating the lever 1 3 second time, and time after the central station has released the lever ,and given the same its initial movement, indicated by the special signal 43, the clerk at the sub-station must operate the validating mechanism. to

complete the Validating operation and reother member of the couple; so that while in this position the perforating. needles prevent'the Withdrawal of the ticket, and as soon as a sales clerk so operates this movable me nb'er 'of the validatingcouple as to withdrawthe needles from the .paper, the full-stroke device has 'becomeefl'ective to prevent a second approach of the erforat ing device until its -member has een restored' completely tonormal position, 'in which event the member is relatched in normal upper position, and is now under the sole control of the central station. It re mains of course latched in this normal upper position until the credit man at the centralstation again operates the selective circuit to unlatch the said movable member of the validating couple, and the movable member then is given ts initial movement beyond the control of the latching device, so

that the credit man does not have to main tain the unlatch-ing circuit closed, since the momentary depression of his switch-key causes this unlatchmgand initial movement of the said movable member, and permits the salesperson to operate the same whenunderstood that the invention is not confined to the one, form of embodiment herein disclosed, but is susceptible of embodiment in, various other forms, all of which fall Within the scope of the appended claims. lVhat is claimed is ilS'fOllO\\'S2 1. In a device of the class described, having a 'centralstation and a sub-station, the combination with a plurality of manually operatedwalidating mechanisms-at the substation, of selective means situated at the central station and'having connections for selectively controlling the operation of the validating mechanisms at the sub-station.

.2. In a device of the class described, havin'g central station and a sub-station, the combination with a plurality of hand-operated validating mechanisms at the substation, of means-for latching said mechanisms in normal position; and a plurality of switch levers at the central station with electrical connections to the sub-station for unlat'ching any desired one of the said vali.' dating mechanlsms.

In a device of the class described,- having acentral station and a substation, the combination with a validating couple at the sub-station, the members of said couple having movement relatively to each other; of

means comprising apparatus at the central station for efiecting an initial movement of one member of said couple to a position beyond the control of said controlling means.

4. In a device of the class described, having a central station and a sub-station, the combination with a'validating couple at the sub-station, one member of said couple hav' ing movement relatively to the other member; of means for latching the said movable member in normal position; and controlling means comprising apparatus at the central station for efi'ecting an operation of the latching means to permit an initial movement of the movable member to a position beyond the control of said latching means. I

5.. In a device of the class described, having a central. station and a sub-station, the combination with a validating couple at the sub-station, one member of'said couple having movement, relatively to the other; of perforating devices carried on the movable member of thevcouple; of means comprising apparatus at thc'central station for eiiecting an initial movement of the perforating member to a position beyond the control of said controlling means as part of the com plete validating operation.

(5. In a device of the class described, having a central station and a sub-station, the coml.. ination with a validating mechanism at the sub-station, said validating mechanism including means comprising apparatus'at the central station for controlling said validating mechanism; and means for preventing a second operation of the validating mechanism after one complete-operation thereof until said mechanism has been completely restored to normal position again under the control of said controlling means at the central station.'

7. In a'device of the class described, havmg a central station and a sub-statlon, the combination with a validating mechanism j situated at the sub-station, said validating mechanism including a manually-operated device; means comprising apparatus at the means at the'central station.

.' co nbination'with a validating mechanism situated at the sub-station, said validating mechanism including a manuallyoperated device and means normally preventing opcontrolling'means comprising apparatus at the central station for disabling said preventing means;,andmeans for compelling central station for controlling the'operation of said validating mechanism; and means for compelling asequence of operation betweenjthe said manual controlling device at the sub-station and-the said Y controlling 8- In a d vice of the class described, having a central station and'a sub-station, the

eration of said manuallyoperated device, of

alternate operations first of 'the central station controlling means and then the substation manually-operated means. g

9. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a validating couple, one member of said couple having movement relatively to the other member; ofperfo rating devices carried onjsaid" movable member of the couple; means for preventing Y asecond approach ofsaid' perforating niem her after withdrawal of the same. until said movable member has been restored. fully to a normal position.

- dating stamp, "of. a. locking device for the 10. In a device of the: class described, the combination with a' validating couple, one member of said couple having movement relatively to the other member, of means for .latcliing said movable member in normal position; perforating devices ca'rried'by said movable me 'nber; means tor unlatching'said movable member to permit operation there:

of: and means for preventing a second approach of said perforating member after withd 'awal of the same [from the other member of the couple: until said-movablemember hasibeen restored to normal l'atching position.

11. In a device of the class .deci'ib'ed, the combination with a manually -operated valisame, and controlling mechanism for the lock independent of the same; connecting means intermediate the lock and controlling mechanism, with provision, for locating saidmechan sm at any des red distance from the stamp; and means for preventing more than a single impression of the stamp when;

' released,

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a manually operated validating stamp; of locking devices for the same; electrical mechanism for operating the lockingdevices "from a distance, and

means requiring the relatching of the stamp after it has made a single operation before it again can be operated.

13. In a device. of the class described, the combination with printing types, of a stamp inglever carrying a platen an electrically controlled loclrfor said lever; means for operating said lock from a distance; and, devices tor preventing more than a single. ".lIilPlGSSlOIl by said lever after being unlocked.

lat. In a deviceof the class described, the

combination with a manually operated validating stamppof locking devices for the same; means-for operating said locking devices from a distance, and a full stroke mechanism requiring a full movement of the stamp and thus assuring its relocking before it again can be operated. 7

1 5. In a device of the class described, the

carrying 'a platen, a lock, for said lever;

nieansfor operating the lock, a full strokedevice for the lever;' and guard points lo cated adjacent to the-platen for. preventing the insertion of a slip until the lever has moved a predetermined distance upward.

' l6. In a device-ofthe class described, the! combination with a validating stamp including a manually operated lever therefor, oi

means for-latching said lever in norma combination with printing type,'of a lever position; spring means for'restoriiig the levei' 'towai'd normal position, said spring being situated to permit lost motion connection between the leve and the spring when the levei' is released; and a full stroke de-' member of the couple to a position beyond the cont-r01 of said controlling means; and a a signal s'ituated at thesub-station for indicating'the initial movement of said-movable member. 18. Ina device-ofithefclass described,liaving a central station and a sub-station, the combination with a normally inoperative validating couple at the sub-station, one member of said couple having movement relatively to the other inembei-;'means compr sing apparatus at the central. station for controlling the said relative movement; and

it again a can means for indicating that said relativ'emove-v ment has been eii'ected- I p 19; In a device of the class described, having a centralstation and a sub-station, the

combination with invalidating couple at .the

sub-station. one member of said couple hav ing movement relatively to theother memher; of means for latching the said movable member in normal position; controlling means comprising apparatus at the central normal position; Eontrolling means comprising apparatus at the central station for operating. the said latching means to release said lever; and a signal device connected with said lever for indicating the unlatched conditionof the same.

21. In a device of the class described, havinga central station and a sub-station, the combination with a validating couple at the sub-station, one member of said couple having movement relatively to the other member; of controlling means comprising appa-- ratus at the cent a-l station for effecting an initial movement of said movable member to a position beyond the control of saidcontrolling means,.and a signal situated at the central station and controlled by said movable member of the validating couple to indicate the further operationof the validating couple at the sub-station.

22. In a device of the class described, having 'a' central station and a sub-station, the combination with a validating mechanism at the sub-station, said mechanism including a manually operated lever therefor; of

means for latching said lever in normal position; means comprising apparatus at the central station for controlling the unlatching of said lever and effecting an initial movement thereof an electric signal device located at the central station; and a circuit closing device having connection with said electric signal and operated by said lever for indicating at the central station the further operation of the said lever after initial movement thereof.

23. In a device of the class described, having a central station and a sub-station, the combination with a validating couple at the sub-station, one member of said couple having movement relatively to the other member, said member being normally inoperative, means comprising apparatus at the central station for controlling said member to render it operative; means for indicating that said member is in operative condition;

and means for indicating at the central sta- "combination with stamping lever, a 100 for said ever, means tion that said movable member has received its relative movement.

24. In a device of the class described, having a central station and a sub-station, the combination with a validating mechanism at the sub-station, said'mechanism including a manually operated lever therefor; of means for latching said lever in normal position; means comprising apparatus at the central station for effecting an unlatching of said lever and an initial movement therefor; an indicator connected with said lever for indi ating at the sub-station the initially moved condition thereof; an indicator situated at the central station; and a circuit closer having electrical connection with said central station indicator and operated by said lever to cause the indication at the central'station to show the completed operation of the lever. y

25. 'In a device of the class described, the combination with a manually operated validating stamp, of a locking means for the same, devices for actuating the locking means from a distance; and a signal for indicating the released or locked condition of the stamp.

26. In a device of the class described, the combination with a manually operated validating stamp, of a locking device for the same; a controlling mechanism for the lock independent of the stamp; connecting means intermediate the lock and controlling mechanism, with provision for locating said mechanism at any desired distance from the stamp; a signaling device located in proximitv to the controlling mechanism; and

connecting means intermediate the signaling device and stamp.

27. In a device of the class described, the combination with a manually operated validating stamp, of locking devices for the same; means for operating said devices from a distance; asignal for indicating the relcased or locked condition of the stamp;

and a second signal made active by the operation of the stamp.

28'. In a device of the class described, the combination with printing types, of a lever carrying a platen, a lock for said lever'; means for operating said lock from a distance; a flash for indicating when the lever is unlocked; and a signal operated by the lever for indicating its operation. a

29. In a device of the class described, the rinting t pes, of a for operating the lock from a distance, a full-stroke device on the lever; a s ring for returning the lever to normal loc ed position; a knife actuated by the lever; and signals controlled by the movements of the lever to indicate its operative condition.

' 30. In a device-of the class described, hav

ing a centralstationand a sub-station, the

combination with a plurality of validating mechanisms at the sub-station; of sel ive means comprising apparatus at the central validating mechanisms at the sub-station.-

. 31. In a device of the class described, havmg acentral station and a sub-station, the

combination with a plurality of manually operated validating mechanisms at the substation, of means for latching said mechanisms in normal position, selective means comprising apparatus at the central station for selectively unlatching said mechanisms at the sub-station to'be operated, and means for signaling at the central station the operation of any of the validating mechanisms at the substation.

. 32.. In a device of the class described, having a central station and'a'sub-station, the

combination with a plurality of manually operated validating mechanisms at the substation, of means normally rendering said mechanlsms inoperative, and. selective means comprising apparatus at the central station'- for selectively rendering said mechanisms at the substation operative.

33. In a device of the class described, having a central'station and a sub-station, the

combination with a plurality of manually r o I Q operated validatlng mechanisms at the substation, of meansnormally rendering said mechanisms lnoperative, select ve means comprising apparatus at the central station a for selectively rendering said mechanisms at the substation operative, and means foreignaling at the sub-station when any one of said mechanisms at the sub-station is rendered operative. 4

34:. In a device of the class described, having a central station and asub-station, the combination with a plurality of manually operated validating printing devices .at the Copies ot'this patent may be obtained for sub-station, of selective means comprising apparatus at the central station for seleccombination With a validating couple at the.

sub-station one memberof which is adapted to be given a movement relative to the other, a latching means normally preventing movement of said. movable member, said member being adapted to have an initial movement, upon the disabling of said latching means, to a position beyond the control of said means, and means comprising apparatus at the central station for controlling the disabling of the latching means. v .37. In a device of the class described, having 'a central station and a sub-station, the combination. with a validating couple at the sub-station one member of which is adapted to be given a movement relative to the other, latching means normally preventing said relative movement, controlling means at the icentral station 'and means controlled thereby for disabling said latching device, said movable member being adapted to have an initial movement to a position beyond the control of the latching means when'the latter- WILLIAM H. 'MUZZI. Witnesses L C. L. VVILLISS, W. M. MoCAarnY;

five cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of. I'atentn. Washington, D. 0. 

